New Tesla Roadster Revealed: Performance, Thrust and Rocket Trims, 0-60 in Under 0.59s, $50,000 Reservation, 2028 Production (October 2026)
Tesla unveiled the next-generation Roadster on October 15, 2026 at a SpaceX site in Texas. Here are the three trims, the cold-gas thrusters and suction fans, the interior, reservation costs, production timing, and how it compares with the 2017 promise.
Nine years after its first reveal, the Tesla Roadster is back, and it is now three cars: a road car, a race car, and one that flies. This summary is based on reporting from The Verge, WIRED, TechCrunch, Engadget and PogWire. All performance figures are Tesla's or Elon Musk's claims, not independent tests.
Key facts
- Reveal: evening of October 15, 2026 (US Central) at SpaceX's McGregor, Texas site, in an event under 30 minutes. It was pushed from October 1 by bad weather.
- Trims: Performance (road-ready two-seater), Thrust (race-ready limited two-seater), Rocket (air-ready single-seater, invitation only).
- 0-60 mph (claimed): under 1.6s, under 0.9s and under 0.59s respectively; a 0.81s run was claimed during the event.
- Reservations: $50,000 total for Performance, $250,000 for Thrust. No vehicle price yet.
- Production: Musk said 2028. Delivery timing is open.
What Tesla showed
The car drove up a vertical wall and an inverted C-shaped ramp, held on by underbody suction fans producing up to about 2G, which Tesla says can keep it stuck upside down even when stopped. It flipped on the ramp and descended on thrusters, then hopped over a Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck, Semi and Cybercab. Musk floated Mach 0.5 as a possible target for the production car.
The three trims
| Performance | Thrust | Rocket | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concept | Road-ready | Race-ready | Air-ready |
| Seats | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Key hardware | Active aero, multi-mode suction fans | Rear cold-gas thrusters | About 10 thrusters around the body |
| 0-60 mph (claimed) | Under 1.6s | Under 0.9s | Under 0.59s |
| Other | 300+ mile range target | Limited edition | 230+ mph top speed, invite only, not road legal |
| Reservation | $50,000 total | $250,000 total | Invitation |
How the thrusters work
They are cold-gas thrusters, not rockets: two ultra-high-pressure air tanks totalling 600 L hold about 250 kg of air, feeding 10 nozzles, with no chemical propellant and self-recharging tanks.
Interior and design
Two seats (the 2017 car promised 2+2), seats integrated into the chassis, a steer-by-wire yoke, a center touchscreen plus two small displays, magnesium, titanium and carbon construction, a retractable rear wing, an SR-71-inspired shape, Ano White paint, gold-tinted glass and a track mode.
Timeline
In 2017 Tesla promised 0-60 in 1.9s, 250+ mph, 620 miles of range, a $200,000 price and a 2020 launch, and took $250,000 Founders deposits. After repeated delays, the Q2 2026 update still described the car as in design development with no factory chosen, so treat 2028 cautiously. More detail may come with Q3 earnings on October 21 (US Eastern).
Why it matters
Rivals include the Rimac Nevera, and Musk reportedly called the Roadster "small potatoes" for Tesla's finances. It is a halo car: a preview of technology such as steer-by-wire and active aero that may reach cheaper models.
This is an informational summary of press reports, not a recommendation to reserve or buy.
Sources: The Verge, WIRED, TechCrunch (2026-10-15), Engadget, PogWire.